Recovery of valuable components and inactivating microorganisms in the agro-food industry with ultrasound-assisted supercritical fluid technology

Abstract

Food industry is increasingly interested in replacing conventional processes of plant extraction, as well as microbial inactivation, by alternative, greener and cheaper techniques. In many cases, chemical extraction processes are hindered by several drawbacks such as the use of chemical solvents, which is associated with many health and environmental issues. Furthermore, the use of high temperatures to improve and/or accelerate the processes, which may affect and degrade the thermolabile compounds, is usually required. Among the most promising techniques that could be competitive to the current extraction methods of molecules from plant matrices and microbial inactivation of food products, ultrasound assisted supercritical fluid extraction has taken great interest. This non-exhaustive review, covering the last 20 years, gives a critical commentary on the main published results using this emerging technology. Promising prospects opened up by new applications are described, without omitting the main limitations still to be overcome for a harmonious industrial development of these technologies.

The Application of Supercritical Fluid Extraction in Phenolic Compounds Isolation from Natural Plant Materials

“…The influence of the pressure on the solubility of desired compounds may increase the extraction efficiency. Moreover, carbon dioxide may be more selective when pressure and/or temperature is optimized [ 9 , 67 ]. The extraction with pure carbon dioxide provides the final product with no solvent as carbon dioxide is evolved and thus removed during depressurization [ 68 ].…”

“…The choice of an extraction solvent is dependent on the properties of the extracted compounds. Koubaa et al [ 9 ] provide an example of the extraction with hexane as a solvent, obtaining the extract characterized by low phenolic compounds content as a result of low solubility of the phenolic compounds in non-polar solvents. The phenolic compounds have been traditionally extracted using a Soxhlet method but also by soaking and stirring, heat reflux and maceration [ 10 ].…”

Inhibitory effects of Manihot esculenta extracts on Food‐Borne pathogens and their antioxidant properties: Supercritical fluid extraction, statistical analysis, and molecular docking study

“…It is verified that small changes in extraction temperature provide a more significant effect on the DPPH inhibition compared to the extraction time. This is because some antioxidant compounds are thermolabile compounds, which decompose at higher temperatures, thus reducing the antioxidant extract and DPPH inhibition (Koubaa, Mhemdi, & Fages, 2018; Yim et al, 2013). At lower temperatures, the solubility of the compound into the solvent is low, thus decreasing the DPPH inhibition activity.…”

Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities of Distillates Purified by Means of Molecular Distillation from Ginger Extract Obtained with Supercritical CO2 Fluid

“…The steam distillation, solvent extraction, ultrasound‐assisted extraction and other modern extraction techniques are still the most common methods for the production of ginger extract. However, these extract methods are associated with some drawbacks such as residual organic solvents, high equipment cost and high operating temperature which results in the degradative changes of the major compounds . The supercritical CO 2 fluid extraction has been studied extensively as an alternative to conventional methods of natural plant extraction.…”

“…However, these extract methods are associated with some drawbacks such as residual organic solvents, high equipment cost and high operating temperature which results in the degradative changes of the major compounds. [9][10][11][12][13] The supercritical CO 2 fluid extraction has been studied extensively as an alternative to conventional methods of natural plant extraction. Various researchers have produced high-yield ginger extract which contains a maximum amount of volatile oil and oleoresin by supercritical CO 2 fluid extraction.…”